The
combination of people, content and technology create the knowledge
architecture required for effective knowledge sharing.
(Awad et al 2003:97)
ePharmacy has identified knowledge centres and assigned them team
names to recognise team success versus individual success.
In spite of ePharmacy identifying that expertise lies more within
the teams rather than the individual, no assignment of a knowledge
developer within the team has lead to a lack of "ownership"
existing in regards to knowledge management which is fundamental
to effective knowledge capture, transfer and implementation. (
Awad et al 2003)
Although Nonaka's spiral of knowledge sees knowledge creation as
a transcendent process that begins with the individual sharing knowledge
through socialisation, and ending with internalisation of new knowledge
into the organisations tacit knowledge ( Nonaka
et al 1998), Awad et al (2003) state that it is the knowledge
developer who facilitates the process by exploring the relationship
between team actions and outcomes, and the transfer of knowledge
from teams to the organisation will not occur without them.
In contrast,
while the people and content components of the knowledge architecture
are still evolving, the technical core of ePharmacy is such to
enable efficient and effective knowledge transfer.
The user interface is designed on common pharmacy software systems
allowing easy use, authorised access is controlled by username
and password secured by a virtual private network (VPN), and filtering
applications operate through reports to resolve CRM and e-fulfilment
issues.
In addition, the system utilises email and the internet for transport
with high-grade security in both hardware and software protecting
the network, central and decentralised repositories.
(Awad et al 2003:102)
Furthermore, an extranet was created last year to enable supplier
content management to improve profitability and shift medico-legal
responsibility, enabling a channel for enhanced knowledge transfer
in the future between ePharmacy and its suppliers.
The technical
core enables Explicit-tacit knowledge transfer via a localised
client-server network operating on a file-sharing server.
Staff will access email templates (knowledge reuse) and order
fulfilment documents by accessing this information via a "pull
strategy" and updating the information accordingly.
It is therefore imperative to try to codify carefully the knowledge
and store it in the database where it can be easily accessed,
used and re-used by the employee for the next similar cases (Hansen,
Nohria, Tierney, 1999:107) as staff-members can begin
to internalise the knowledge from the documents and use it to
broaden, extend, and reframe their own tacit knowledge.
The fact that ePharmacy has a multi-site fulfilment strategy and
an existing intranet means that the current process could be greatly
enhanced by having the knowledge stored on the central repository
instead of the current local servers enabling access to an improved
pull system, as well as allowing the implementation of a push
system to facilitate knowledge transfer after a filtering process
takes place to target specific knowledge required (Tiwana
2000)
In addition as ePharmacy's business is underpinned by the effective
use of technology and the internet as well as the internet acting
as a standard world wide( Awad et al, 2003),
future development of a KMS system via the use of intra and extranet
portals is a logical extension of the teams processes and could
serve to accommodate effective and efficient knowledge exchange
and support using externalisation, combination, and internalisation.
(Awad et al, 2003:269; Tiwana 2000)
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